Digital transformation to be rolled out in Vietnam textbook production: publisher

Digital transformation will be implemented in textbook publishing and management, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tung, deputy editor-in-chief of the Vietnam Education Publishing House (VEPH).

As a wholly state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Education and Training, VEPH is tasked with compiling, editing, printing, and distributing textbooks and educational products to serve research, teaching, and learning at all levels.

In recent years, with the rapid growth of digital technology, the market for e-books and digital learning materials has expanded significantly, leading to a decline in demand for traditional paper-based educational books.

Providing textbooks and digital learning materials on two platforms

The development and distribution of textbooks for general education is both a political task and a key business activity of the publisher. With the rapid advancement of digital technology and the growing market for e-books and digital learning materials, the demand for traditional paper-based educational books has significantly decreased.

Therefore, implementing digital transformation is not only a direction from the Party, the Government, and the Ministry of Education and Training, but also an inherent and inevitable necessity for the publishing house.

Since 2020, VEPH has provided textbooks and digital learning materials on two platforms: taphuan.nxbgd.vn and hanhtrangso.nxbgd.vn.

The purpose of the taphuan.nxbgd.vn platform is to introduce textbooks, gather public feedback, and offer training courses for teachers using the 2018 General Education Program.

The digital materials available on the site include student books, teacher guides, supplementary books, teacher training resources, lesson plans, slides introducing textbooks and teacher training, and videos introducing textbooks and teaching equipment.

Meanwhile, the hanhtrangso.nxbgd.vn platform aims to support teachers and students in teaching and learning textbooks from the Vietnam Education Publishing House. The digital materials provided on this platform include student books, teacher guides, supplementary books according to the 2018 General Education Program, interactive exercises, and multimedia learning resources.

The availability of digital textbooks and learning materials on these two platforms has helped the publishing house overcome difficulties when the distribution of paper books was halted due to social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

From 2020 to 2024, the introduction of textbooks, as well as the training and development of teachers and educational managers, were conducted online. As a result, it successfully trained teachers and administrators from all 63 provinces and cities, ensuring high-quality and effective training.

Tung noted that the adaptation to digital technology has been a long-standing initiative of the publishing house. For students, VEPH has developed digital learning materials that supplement the textbooks.

"For instance, for the first-grade textbooks, we have made them available online at https://hanhtrangso.nxbgd.vn for students to read alongside their physical books. These are not just ordinary PDFs but we’ve embedded supplementary content that printed books can't offer.

"For the first grade, we provide guidance on how to write the letter 'T' - where to place the pen and how to form each stroke. When students click on the letter 'T', we simulate the teacher’s pen movement in a short clip. At the same time, we integrate the instructional video on how to write 'T' with the PDF guide," he elaborated.

Poems and reading passages are recorded with expressive narration, with pauses and emphasis to maximize listener comprehension. These audio files are embedded into the PDF for students to listen to, he added.

VEPH has also enhanced the appeal of digital textbooks by adding numerous illustrations, making them interactive and dynamic, almost like a picture. Moreover, the platform includes a zoom function for charts and tables, allowing students to read details clearly.

Towards complete digital transformation

According to Tung, software and tools have been applied at every stage of textbook production, including topic registration, writing, editing, design, and layout. The integration of information technology into the process of transferring files for printing on the internet has significantly shortened the time it takes to send files to printers, while also allowing quick fixing of any arising issues.

He also highlighted that Vietnam Education Publishing House has identified digital transformation as a key priority and is committed to successfully implementing it in the near future.

According to the deputy editor-in-chief, digital transformation will be applied across management, publishing operations, and especially in the development of e-books, digital learning materials, and the application of artificial intelligence technology to better serve users. Among those who will benefit most from this shift are students, teachers, and parents.

“VEPH aims for the complete digitization of all management, operation, publishing, distribution, and product delivery processes, making the entire system paperless and fully digital,” he noted.